An Examination of the Economic and Legal Feasibility of Western Cape Secession

1. Introduction: The Western Cape Secession Question

The proposition that the Western Cape province of South Africa might secede from the Republic has garnered increasing attention, fueled by a complex interplay of political, economic, and socio-cultural factors. The premise often underpinning this discourse is that the Western Cape, uniquely among South African provinces, is not governed by the African National Congress (ANC) and, as a direct consequence, exhibits superior performance across various metrics. This report aims to critically examine this foundational assertion through empirical data, while providing an expert-level analysis of the economic and legal feasibility of such a secession.

It is a factual observation that the Western Cape's provincial government has been led by the Democratic Alliance (DA) since 2009, distinguishing its political landscape from the ANC dominance prevalent in most other provinces. This political divergence is often cited by proponents of greater autonomy or outright independence as a key reason for the province's perceived successes. The notion of the Western Cape "doing well" will be systematically unpacked in Section 2 through a comparative analysis of socio-economic indicators. For the full 23-page report click here.